An iconic child star who played Dennis the Menace has passed away age 73.
Jay North, the actor who played the lead role Dennis the Menace in the classic sitcom from 1959 to 1963 died at his home in Florida on Sunday (April 6). This also follows the sad news of another actor’s death.
His dear friend of 30 years confirmed the sad news with a statement she wrote online, revealing that his cause of death was from colorectal cancer.
She wrote: “‘Our dear friend Jay North has been fighting cancer for a number of years and this morning at noon EST, Jay passed peacefully at home.
(Image: Getty Images)
“As many of his fans know, he had a difficult journey in Hollywood and after…but he did not let it define his life.
“He had a heart as big as a mountain, loved his friends deeply. He called us frequently and ended every conversation with ‘I love you with all my heart’.”
Fans took to social media to share their tributes online after learning the tragic news.
One penned: “RIP, Jay North. Grew up with his character repping @DairyQueen.” A second typed: “‘Dennis the Menace’ has passed away. Rest in Peace! We used to watch his show growing up. Very funny kid.”
A third scribed: “I just read that Jay North actor of Dennis the Menace died today, the 6th, at 73, of colon cancer. Very sad. RIP Jay North.”
One other shared: “Ooooh, My role model as a kid has passed away! I was Mikey The Menace!”
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Another part of my childhood is gone. #RestInPeace Jay North . The original Dennis the Menace,” a fifth posted.
Jay played the well-intentioned but troublesome Dennis Mitchell in the CBS sitcom. The star was just six when he auditioned for the show and eight by the time the show first aired in 1959.
He was almost 12 when the show was axed after four seasons.
In a 1993 interview, Jay commented on the show’s end and said: “Between the pressures of the business and Joe’s dying, I became very serious, very morbid and very withdrawn from the world. I was the antithesis of the little kid that I played on the television show.”
(Image: AP)
He also starred in films Zebra in the Kitchen and Maya, and worked as a voice actor on kids shows such as The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
